Natalie Cole Dishes On New Album & If She Would Make It As A New Artist [EXCLUSIVE]

When it comes to her career, Natalie Cole has done what many other children of celebrities haven’t and that’s become a legend in their own right while constantly keeping the memory of their famous parent alive and well. Since debuting in 1975, Natalie Cole has been to highest peak of success and the lowest valley of addiction in her 30 plus years in the music industry and survived to tell the story.

Now in her early sixties, Natalie is still taking inspiration from her music pioneering father Nat King Cole while remaining true to her own artistry by putting out her first Spanish language album. Many tend to forget Nat King Cole released three Spanish language albums during his career.

The Urban Daily ran into Natalie Cole as she walked the red carpet for the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame gala. During our very brief but engaging interview we talked about her upcoming album “Natalie Cole En Español”(due out on June 25th), how the style of songwriting has changed since her debut, and who she thinks has done the best cover of a Natalie Cole song.

TUD: You’re doing a Spanish language album. What inspired that?

NC: It came from my heart. It came from my passion. I’ve always loved Spanish. I love my father’s Spanish records. I had to go dig and really find them from years ago because those were the few records of his that I didn’t have. My first trip to Mexico was with my dad because of his Spanish records. That was back in 1958. I found a picture of me when I was eight dressed as a little señorita. [laughs] So obviously, this has lived inside of me for a long, long time.

As a songwriter, what do you think about the way song structure has changed since you started?

I don’t write that much. I wish I did and I’m going to write some more. But I think the style has changed. I don’t know if the process or the technique has changed all that much. I think people just want to be popular. So they’re going to write lyrics that are going to get your attention. You know, sometimes, they’re a little graphic and I don’t think that’s so necessary. I think we need to be sexy and kind of mysterious and still pretty and beautiful. I like to hear that when a man sings. I don’t really want to hear about taking my clothes off. [laughs]

If you debuted in today’s landscape of music, do you think you’d be as successful as you are?

I am so glad I’m not coming out right now. [laughs] I don’t know because I’m a little semi-conservative. I don’t know if I would really want to show all my stuff the way that so many artists are. I think that’s kind of demeaning and then there’s not much left to show later on down the road. I don’t know what would happen to me if I came out in this time.